BOSTON – Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers announced that point guard Rajon Rondo would likely miss Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden.

Rondo suffered a hamstring strain during the fourth quarter of a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Nov. 19, holding him out of action since.

Rivers said that the injury limited Rondo during a shootaround prior to Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Nets, at which point it was decided to hold him out of action.

"He actually tried to go through shootaround today, even though we kinda just walked through stuff -- literally walked through things, I don't even know if I'd call it a shootaround -- and he didn’t feel good doing that,” Rivers said. "So obviously he can't play yet."

Rivers stressed that the injury is no more serious than originally believed, and that by giving him Friday off it would give Rondo an additional three days of rest before the Celtics travel to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers Nov. 30.

"I don’t think it’s anything -- it’s not a bad hamstring or whatever. You just have to be careful with it,” Rivers said.

Rondo is currently averaging 11.2 points per game and leads the NBA with 171 assists.

Nate Robinson will continue to serve as the starting point guard while Rondo is on the mend.

Filling that role Monday in a win against the Atlanta Hawks, Robinson scored 16 points and dished out 10 assists.

"He's had the opportunity to step up," guard Ray Allen said of Robinson. "I can see him paying attention to game more and working on himself."

Rivers has also been pleased with Robinson.

“Our offensive numbers haven’t changed at all [without Rondo] and, in Atlanta, our defense was as good as it’s been all year,” Rivers said. “A terrific defensive energy game, I thought that was a great statement by our players to each other, to themselves, in the [Atlanta] game the other night.”

Bradley debuts: With Rondo out, it cleared the way for rookie guard Avery Bradley to make his NBA debut Monday against the Atlanta Hawks.

Bradley, a first-round pick, was held out of action throughout the early part of the season with an ankle injury suffered during a pre-draft workout for the Oklahoma City Thunder, scored two points in six minutes of action.

“It feels good to get out there,” Bradley said. “But this has given me a great opportunity to learn from the sidelines by watching the great veteran players here.”

Bradley was equipped with an ankle brace and said that he will likely wear one for the rest of the season.

“I’m about 95 percent,” Bradley said. “That’s probably all I’ll be this season.”

Jermaine O’Neal still MIA: It was originally believed that O’Neal would only need a maximum of three weeks to return from a knee injury, but Rivers said that it will now likely take longer if they wait for him to get to 100 percent.